Template:Short description Template:Coord Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox sports league The Spengler Cup is an annual invitational ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss team HC Davos and played each year in Davos from 26 December to 31 inclusively. Currently, all games are held at the Eisstadion Davos.

It was originally devised by Dr. Carl Spengler as a means to promote teams from German-speaking Europe, who might have suffered ostracism in the aftermath of World War I. Eventually, the tournament grew well beyond expectations. Many of Europe's most prestigious clubs and national programs have appeared, including Soviet, Czechoslovak, Swedish, German, and Finnish powerhouses. Through its history, club or national teams from 13 countries have won the tournament, with HC Davos tied with Team Canada in winning the most cups as a club (16) while various teams from Switzerland have won the most cups for one country (22).

Among non-European organizations, Team Canada, Team USA, nationally ranked U.S. collegiate teams, reigning AHL Calder Cup and Ontario Hockey Association champions, and even Team Japan (in 1971, building international experience before playing as hosts of the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics) have competed for the Spengler Cup. Since at least 1990, Team Canada has been the only participant from North America, with the exception of the AHL's Rochester Americans in 1996 and 2013. Future participation of the AHL has been discussed by tournament organisers and the league.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 2018 tournament, Finnish club team KalPa from the city of Kuopio defeated Team Canada 2–1 in the final. The game was decided in the 8th round of a shootout, the first series of game-winning shots in tournament history that determined the winner of the Spengler Cup.

The Spengler Cup tournament was not played in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2024 tournament, Swiss club team HC Fribourg-Gottéron defeated German club team Straubing Tigers 7–2 in the final.

HistoryEdit

File:Spengler Cup.JPG
The former Spengler Cup trophy on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Many participating teams are club teams, rather than national teams, where a club team might have players from many nations on the roster. The first tournament was won in 1923 by the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club, composed of Canadians studying at the University of Oxford.<ref name=Pearson>The Isis, 23 Jan. 1924, page 19. (Future Prime Minister of Canada Lester Pearson was a member of the Oxford University team in the spring of 1923; however, he returned to Canada in the summer of 1923 and therefore did not compete in the first Spengler Cup played at the end of December 1923 and early January 1924. See: Pearson, Lester B. Mike : The Memoirs of the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972, page 50.)</ref>

The first 24 tournaments were dominated by host HC Davos (7 wins, 12 runners-up) and the Czechoslovak club team LTC Prague (7 wins, 2 runners-up). The LTC Prague team was shut down by the Czechoslovak communist authorities after players defected at the 1948 Spengler Cup tournament. Between 1965 and 1983, the tournament was dominated by various Czechoslovak and Soviet teams. Since joining the tournament in 1984, Team Canada has been the dominant participant, with 16 wins and 10 runners-up. Team Canada is made up of Canadians predominantly playing in Europe, as the tournament occurs during the NHL and AHL seasons, though active NHL stars Joe Thornton and Rick Nash played for HC Davos during the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

From its inception until 1978, the tournament was played on an outdoor rink. The outdoor rink still exists outside the indoor arena, and is one of the largest outdoor rinks in the world. Starting in 1978, all tournament games have been played indoors.

The Spengler Cup was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the tournament was scheduled to return in 2021, Team Canada withdrew from the competition due to problems scheduling a quarantine isolation period before the start of play, and HC Ambrì-Piotta withdrew from the competition due to COVID-19 cases among the club's players.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 2021 event was ultimately cancelled on 25 December due to COVID cases within HC Davos.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SponsorshipEdit

The Spengler Cup is the second-largest sporting event in Switzerland, after tennis' Swiss Indoors in Basel. The tournament had a budget of CHF 11 million in 2016. About 40% of the total tournament budget amount comes from corporate sponsors.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since 1985, UBS has been the main sponsor and presenting partner of the Spengler Cup.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other current major sponsors are Würth, Schenker Storen, Škoda, Calanda, and Hostpoint.ch – each of whom, along with UBS, are the main tournament sponsor of one of the six teams each year.

International broadcastsEdit

Bringing international hockey to North American television in the early 2000s, Paul Graham produced coverage of the Spengler Cup during his career in television production.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Spengler Cup is currently broadcast on Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen in Switzerland, on Eurosport 2 in most of Europe, on Match TV and NTv2 in Russia, on Sport1 in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, on Šport TV in Slovenia, on TSN and RDS in Canada<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and on the streaming service Viaplay in the United Kingdom.Template:Citation needed

Spengler Cup winnersEdit

File:Coppa Spengler.png
A representation of the current Spengler Cup trophy.
Year Winner Runner-up
1923 Template:Flagicon Oxford University Template:Flagicon Berlin SC
1924 Template:Flagicon Berlin SC Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1925 Template:Flagicon Oxford University Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1926 Template:Flagicon Berlin SC Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1927 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Berlin SC
1928 Template:Flagicon Berlin SC Template:Flagicon Cambridge University
1929 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1930 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1931 Template:Flagicon Oxford University Template:Flagicon Berlin SC
1932 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague
Template:Flagicon Oxford University1
Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Small
1933 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Paris Rapides
1934 Template:Flagicon Diavoli Rossoneri Milano Template:Flagicon Oxford University
1935 Template:Flagicon Diavoli Rossoneri Milano Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1936 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon LTC Prague
1937 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1938 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon LTC Prague
1939 Tournament not held due to World War II
1940
1941 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Berlin SC
1942 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Zürcher SC
1943 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Zürcher SC
1944 Template:Flagicon Zürcher SC Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1945 Template:Flagicon Zürcher SC Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1946 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1947 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1948 Template:Flagicon LTC Prague Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1949 Tournament not held due to high Cold War tensions
1950 Template:Flagicon Diavoli Rossoneri Milano Template:Flagicon AIK Stockholm
1951 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Preussen Krefeld
1952 Template:Flagicon EV Füssen Template:Flagicon Zürcher SC
1953 Template:Flagicon HC Milano Inter Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1954 Template:Flagicon HC Milano Inter Template:Flagicon EV Füssen
1955 Template:Flagicon Rudá Hvězda Brno Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1956 Tournament not held for financial reasons<ref name="Spengler-Home-Page"/>
1957 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Rudá Hvězda Brno
1958 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Diavoli Rossoneri Milano
1959 Template:Flagicon ACBB Paris Template:Flagicon EV Füssen
1960 Template:Flagicon ACBB Paris Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1961 Template:Flagicon ACBB Paris Template:Flagicon EV Füssen
1962 Template:Flagicon Sparta Prague Template:Flagicon EV Füssen
1963 Template:Flagicon Sparta Prague Template:Flagicon Klagenfurt AC
1964 Template:Flagicon EV Füssen Template:Flagicon Modo Hockey
1965 Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava Template:Flagicon VIK Västerås HK
1966 Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava Template:Flagicon CP Liège
1967 Template:Flagicon Lokomotiv Moscow Template:Flagicon Kingston Aces
1968 Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava Template:Flagicon Rögle BK
1969 Template:Flagicon Lokomotiv Moscow Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1970 Template:Flagicon SKA Leningrad Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava
1971 Template:Flagicon SKA Leningrad Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava
1972 Template:Flagicon HC Slovan Bratislava Template:Flagicon Torpedo Gorkiy
1973 Template:Flagicon HC Slovan Bratislava Template:Flagicon Traktor Chelyabinsk
1974 Template:Flagicon HC Slovan Bratislava Template:Flagicon Team Poland
1975 Template:Flagicon Czechoslovak Olympic Team Template:Flagicon Team Finland
1976 Template:Flagicon USSR B Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia B
1977 Template:Flagicon SKA Leningrad Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava
1978 Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava Template:Flagicon AIK Stockholm
1979 Template:Flagicon Krylya Sovetov Moscow Template:Flagicon Düsseldorfer EG
1980 Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow Template:Flagicon TJ Vítkovice
1981 Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1982 Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow
1983 Template:Flagicon Dynamo Moscow Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava
1984 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava
1985 Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow Template:Flagicon Team Canada
1986 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Sokil Kiev
1987 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Krylya Sovetov Moscow
1988 Template:Flagicon USA Selects Template:Flagicon Team Canada
1989 Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow Template:Flagicon Färjestad BK
1990 Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow Template:Flagicon Team Canada
1991 Template:Flagicon / Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow Template:Flagicon HC Lugano
1992 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Färjestad BK
1993 Template:Flagicon Färjestad BK Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1994 Template:Flagicon Färjestad BK Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1995 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Lada Togliatti
1996 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1997 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Färjestad BK
1998 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Davos
1999 Template:Flagicon Kölner Haie Template:Flagicon Metallurg Magnitogorsk
2000 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2001 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2002 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Davos
2003 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Davos
2004 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Sparta Prague
2005 Template:Flagicon Metallurg Magnitogorsk Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2006 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2007 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Salavat Yulaev Ufa
2008 Template:Flagicon Dynamo Moscow Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2009 Template:Flagicon Dinamo Minsk Template:Flagicon HC Davos
2010 Template:Flagicon SKA Saint Petersburg Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2011 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Dinamo Riga
2012 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Davos
2013 Template:Flagicon Genève-Servette HC Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow
2014 Template:Flagicon Genève-Servette HC Template:Flagicon Salavat Yulaev Ufa
2015 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Lugano
2016 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Lugano
2017 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon Team Switzerland
2018 Template:Flagicon KalPa Kuopio Template:Flagicon Team Canada
2019 Template:Flagicon Team Canada Template:Flagicon HC Oceláři Třinec
2020 Tournament not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022 Template:Flagicon HC Ambrì-Piotta Template:Flagicon Sparta Prague
2023 Template:Flagicon HC Davos Template:Flagicon Dynamo Pardubice
2024 Template:Flagicon HC Fribourg-Gottéron Template:Flagicon Straubing Tigers

Notes

1 Template:Small<ref name="Spengler-Home-Page">SpenglerCup.ch</ref>

PerformancesEdit

By clubEdit

Performance in the Spengler Cup by club
Club Won Runner-up Years won Years runner-up
Template:Flagicon HC Davos 16 25 1927, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1951, 1957, 1958, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2023 1924, 1925, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1935, 1937, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1960, 1969, 1981, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2012
Template:Flagicon Team Canada 16 10 1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 1985, 1988, 1990, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2018
Template:Flagicon LTC Prague 7 2 1929, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1946, 1947, 1948 1936, 1938
Template:Flagicon Dukla Jihlava 5 5 1965, 1966, 1968, 1978, 1982 1970, 1971, 1977, 1983, 1984
Template:Flagicon Spartak Moscow 5 1 1980, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1990 1982
Template:Flagicon Oxford University 4 1 1923, 1925, 1931, 1932 1934
Template:Flagicon SKA Leningrad /
SKA Saint Petersburg
4 0 1970, 1971, 1977, 2010
Template:Flagicon Berlin SC 3 4 1924, 1926, 1928 1923, 1927, 1931, 1941
Template:Nowrap 3 1 1934, 1935, 1950 1958
Template:Flagicon ACBB Paris 3 0 1959, 1960, 1961
Template:Flagicon HC Slovan Bratislava1 3 0 1972, 1973, 1974
Template:Flagicon EV Füssen 2 4 1952, 1964 1954, 1959, 1961, 1962
Template:Flagicon Zürcher SC 2 3 1944, 1945 1942, 1943, 1952
Template:Flagicon Färjestad BK 2 3 1993, 1994 1989, 1992, 1997
Template:Flagicon Sparta Prague 2 2 1962, 1963 2004, 2022
Template:Flagicon HC Milano Inter 2 0 1953, 1954
Template:Flagicon Lokomotiv Moscow 2 0 1967, 1969
Template:Flagicon Dynamo Moscow 2 0 1983, 2008
Template:Flagicon Genève-Servette HC 2 0 2013, 2014
Template:Flagicon Rudá Hvězda Brno 1 1 1955 1957
Template:Flagicon Krylya Sovetov Moscow 1 1 1979 1987
Template:Flagicon CSKA Moscow 1 1 1991 2013
Template:Flagicon Metallurg Magnitogorsk 1 1 2005 1999
Template:Nowrap 1 0 1975
Template:Flagicon USSR B 1 0 1976
Template:Flagicon USA Selects 1 0 1988
Template:Flagicon Kölner Haie 1 0 1999
Template:Flagicon Dinamo Minsk 1 0 2009
Template:Flagicon KalPa Kuopio 1 0 2018
Template:Flagicon HC Ambrì-Piotta 1 0 2022
Template:Flagicon HC Fribourg-Gottéron 1 0 2024
Template:Flagicon HC Lugano 0 3 1991, 2015, 2016
Template:Flagicon AIK Stockholm 0 2 1950, 1978
Template:Flagicon Salavat Yulaev Ufa 0 2 2007, 2014
Template:Flagicon Cambridge University 0 1 1928
Template:Flagicon Paris Rapides 0 1 1933
Template:Flagicon Preussen Krefeld 0 1 1951
Template:Flagicon Klagenfurt AC 0 1 1963
Template:Flagicon Modo Hockey 0 1 1964
Template:Flagicon VIK Västerås HK 0 1 1965
Template:Flagicon CP Liège 0 1 1966
Template:Flagicon Kingston Aces 0 1 1967
Template:Flagicon Rögle BK 0 1 1968
Template:Flagicon Torpedo Gorkiy 0 1 1972
Template:Flagicon Traktor Chelyabinsk 0 1 1973
Template:Flagicon Team Poland 0 1 1974
Template:Flagicon Team Finland 0 1 1975
Template:Flagicon Czechoslovakia B 0 1 1976
Template:Flagicon Düsseldorfer EG 0 1 1979
Template:Flagicon TJ Vítkovice 0 1 1980
Template:Flagicon Sokil Kiev2 0 1 1986
Template:Flagicon Lada Togliatti 0 1 1995
Template:Flagicon Dinamo Riga 0 1 2011
Template:Flagicon Team Switzerland 0 1 2017
Template:Flagicon HC Oceláři Třinec 0 1 2019
Template:Flagicon Dynamo Pardubice 0 1 2023
Template:Flagicon Straubing Tigers 0 1 2024

Notes

1 Template:Small
2 Template:Small

By nationEdit

Performance by nation
Nation Winners Runners-up
Template:SUI 22 32
Template:CSK1 19 10
Template:CAN2 16 11
Template:USSR3 13 5
Template:GER4 6 11
{{#invoke:flag Italy}}5 5 1
{{#invoke:flag }}6 4 5
Template:GBR 4 2
{{#invoke:flag France}}7 3 1
{{#invoke:flag Sweden}} 2 8
{{#invoke:flag Finland}} 1 1
{{#invoke:flag Belarus}} 1 0
Template:USA 1 0
{{#invoke:flag Czech Republic}} 0 4
{{#invoke:flag Austria}} 0 1
{{#invoke:flag Belgium}} 0 1
Template:LAT 0 1
{{#invoke:flag Poland}} 0 1

Notes

1 Template:Small
2 Template:Small
3 Template:Small
4 Template:Small
5 Template:Small
6 Template:Small
7 Template:Small

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Sister project

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